Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

Was looking at this one.

OK. Yes, it does look P-51-ish to me too. Man, this is fun! I feel like freakin' Sherlock Holmes.




The plane in front of it could be a T-6. I wrote T-28 because it looks like it's sitting level like a tri-gear, but I don't think any attended in '65....looking for clues....I thought Bearcat, but it looks too small next to the high wing aircraft. Perhaps just a low wing GA aircraft then like a Mooney.... Opinions?


The plane above the potential TexanTrojanMooney T-whatever has a high wing, swept tail and level stance, so I say Cessna there. Elementary, my dear Watson(ville airshow fan).


-Deductions, deductions...-

But check this out...The plane above your Mustang looks like another P-51 to me, facing the same direction as the first P-51 with a cart or vehicle(s) parked near the nose and something else parked on our side of the aircraft between the wing and tail. With careful inspection and sometimes squinting I see a light-colored tail-dragger with a dark spinner and nose cowl that's dark on the sides, but the cowl is a lighter color on top . Can you see it?

I researched the book again for aircraft paint schemes, and the nearest match to that scheme was Lyle's ride. Look closer at the photo above, then at this one from '65:



Wha-da-ya think? A match? MMmmmmmmmmm..It COULD beeeee...

[Leo]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

Could be...
I think the "T-28" is something like a Grumman AA-1, like you said, too small relative to the Cessna for a Trojan.
Fun, fun, fun. Kinda like searching google for airports and figuring out what is there...

[Fence Sence]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?




OK, here we have two images of Unlimiteds on the course. First, Mr. Shelton. Here is what I see. The shot is looking northeast. Given when they would be running the "Championship Race" (late afternoon), the sun would be in the west which puts Mr. Shelton in a southerly direction. The mountains in the background are at the north end of the valley. The big cone shaped hill is just out of frame to the right. This would would put this shot just up the hill (west) from the grandstands. This is where the course shape mystery for me comes into full effect. Let's look at the second pic.

Slovac is headed dead west towards the gravel pit and it looks to me like the grandstands would be just out of frame to the left. This is just about 90 degrees difference in direction from the shot of Mr. Shelton. However, both are in nearly level flight. Oval? Wouldn't this be more of a square type oval (think Indy)? It would seem to me that they are running counter-clockwise given Lyle's direction. Were the grandstands on the inside of the course? Sure seems like it. How big was this oval? Did it run north-south or east-west?

This is getting fun.

[Fence Sence]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

OK, Maybe I'm wrong. Look at this this photo of Slovak and compare the mountains with my photo. My pic was shot from what should be the north end of the heavy runway, looking almost dead north. The mountains line up almost perfect. This would throw my last course theory out the window. Maybe this is just a photo op shot and he isn't actually flying the course, just cutting across it for a good pic?

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

Good call. Either the track runs counter-clockwise, or the crowds are parked in the middle of the course. That could be.


I noticed something else about the black & white Mira Slovak photo. We thought "parking lot" but those cars look lined up end to end with some leaning to the right, as if they were parked off-pavement on the sloping sides of the highway.

If so, that could explain the right-to-left pass if the crowds in the photo aren't in the grandstand/parking lot area.

[supercub]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

Mooney on the left and a Commanche on the right

[Fence Sence]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

Anyone in the mood for a solution?


1964. Grandstands, facing north on the west side of Pyramid Highway, aircraft on the right. 190 course runs on a east-west axis. So does the Unlimited course. Both use the same NW pylon. The 190s loop back in front of the crowd and the Unlimiteds loop around the back side of the grandstands, across the valley and then bank back around for another glorious right to left pass. When you stand out there it makes perfect sense. It had to be so much fun ripping across that valley back and forth. Go that way, really fast. When you get to the hills, turn.


It was also too small. It can't be more than 3 miles across that valley at that point which would leave you 1 mile turns to make an 8 mile course. Just enough space get it going really fast and then have to bank low, hard and fast at the base of the hills. Fairly manly for a bunch of guys that hadn't really done anything like that before.

1965.

Entire event site has been moved to the east side of Pyramid Highway. West side is now just parking. The "51 at the end of the runway"? Not a runway. Those are the grandstands. Both courses are now running on a north-south axis along the runway. This would account for the altitude rule for maydays. This also accounts for the 190 course change from 2.375 mi. to 2.5 from '64 to '65. They kept the Unlimited course listed as 8 mi, but who knows how accurate that really was. It was certainly easy enough to set up another 8 mi. course now that they had more room. I think 8 mi. just worked out in '64 with where they were running so they kept it in order to keep the records the same.


Same year, same pylon, same truck, same judges. Shots are facing north at the north end of the course, more than likely the final pylon before Home, putting the course on the north south axis which gives the boys much more room by running it lengthwise through the valley. This also puts the entire site in one spot instead of splitting it across the highway. Makes perfect sense to me now.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

You're right. Those ARE grandstands. Sharp eyes my friend.

So far I see nothing to argue about with your solution. Makes sense to me.

[Fence Sence]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

Does anybody know what the steel plates used for the runway in '65 looked like?

[Box A35]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

Does anybody know what the steel plates used for the runway in '65 looked like?

Probably something like this:

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

Probably the same that the Sea Bees used for making fast landing strips in the Pacific Islands during WWII.

[Fence Sence]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

Probably something like this:

I'll be damned. I know they were leftovers from WWII. Thank you very much gentlemen.

[Apteryx]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

Yep, Marsden Matt (PSP), Kinert's book has a shot of one of the Bipes resting on it as well

[Fence Sence]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

This is why I ask...

[SCEPTER]

Re: Sky Ranch, Original Site location?

This is why I ask...

Nice find Fence. Now if you could just find the Pylon poles you'd be set. They might still be in the ground.